Unknown Hermit

Discussion in 'Inverts' started by rosereef, Jan 4, 2007.

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  1. rosereef

    rosereef Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2006
    Messages:
    45
    I cannot get a picture of the crab at this time but I can describe what it looks like.
    I recieved it on a piece of live rock (with a blue-legged and a bristle worm........also assorted baby snails...turbo I believe)
    It lives in a cerith shell I believe and it is black with vertical white stripes running down each leg (2 on each). It's feelers are red.
    Only thing I could come up with that looked even alittle like it was Phimochirus holthuisi, red-striped hermit.
    Anyone have any ideas?
     
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  3. philip_r5

    philip_r5 Feather Duster

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2006
    Messages:
    228
    Location:
    Daytona Beach, Florida
    Maybe a zebra crab? Pictures always help :p They paint thousands of words :p

    These? These are mine that kinda sounds like what your looking at IDK


    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2007
  4. coral reefer

    coral reefer Giant Squid

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    Jan 9, 2006
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    Wonderland
    To be safe, maybe take it to the pet shop for identification if they are knowledgeable. IMO, if you don't know the proper id you are better off removing it from your tank rather than doing it later after it gets too big or eats some of your coral etc.!!! Could be a Zebra hermit as mentioned above with black and white stripes but without a picture...no way to say for certain!
     
  5. JustPhish

    JustPhish Peppermint Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2006
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    Location:
    CT
    A zebra hermit will have one claw much larger than the other. Very easy to identify it that way. If yours isn't like that, it's not a zebra. Unfortunately nothing comes to my head with the description given.
     
  6. rosereef

    rosereef Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2006
    Messages:
    45
    Sorry but my digital camera can't upload pics to this comp *mutter*
    anyways the pet store told me what it looks like as an adult, although I can't think of it's name off-hand. here is a pic of an adult http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Arthropoda/CrustaceanPIX/Hermit CrabPIX/Phimochirus_holthuisiAQ.jpg
    I don't think I want these in my tank as they get kinda big.........if they don't cause problems then I don't see why I should remove it. I will prob end up reselling/trading them (I ended up gettting another bigger one on a rock) back to the lfs.